Wallbed / Murphy Bed Costs

If you are looking for a wallbed or Murphy Bed in the greater Seattle area, it is pretty easy to find us. The challenge we face in our business, is making ourselves known to folks who DON’T KNOW they are looking for a wallbed! One of our main purposes of blogging is to try to stimulate discussions and get people thinking about how their space is being utilized. Once the evaluation starts, questions and solutions are going to follow.

I love Make: magazine. Their projects are always interesting and they are famous for “hacking.” Hacking is where you take something (i.e. an old TV console) and turn it into something new or more efficient (an aquarium). Last week they presented an over-sized example of a fabulous hack. The town of York, Alabama lacked an outdoor community space. The town had many abandoned houses and overgrown lots. One of these houses was chosen, materials were salvaged to reuse in the rebuild, and a design was picked. They built a new little house, in the same style as the other houses in town but here is the cool part: It UNFOLDS into outdoor seating for 100! Here is the video:

When the seating is not needed, the house folds back up and tucks away!! The lot it sits on, is now a park and enjoyed folks daily. Much more so, than if the seating was taking up the space all the time! This is Economy of Space applied! It is not complicated to operate. The footprint when it is closed vs. when it is opened is about 1:5. It can be used as often or seldom as needed. Wait…are we talking about a Community Center or a wallbed?! Can you see how that way of thinking: breaking down the functions within a set space; can help revise how you see and use your own space?

Another way to look at the Economy of Space is through the actual costs. How much does your home cost to run every month (mortgage+insurance+electricity+repairs+gas…)? Divide that by the square footage of your home. That gives you the “$/sq. foot/ month” ($) value of your space. Now, measure your guest room in square feet (g). Here’s where it gets interesting. Multiply ($) x (g) x 12= the cost of your guest room per year ($Y). NOW, divided that by how many days a year that room is used (U). The cost per day of use will be ($Y)/(U) Let’s say it costs $1.25/sq. foot; and your guest room is 11’x8’ or 88 sq. feet; and there are 12 months in the year; and guests stay there 11 days a year: ($1.25)x(88)x(12)+=($Y)=$1320… $1320/11=$120!

Let me explain that to you: you are spending $1320 a year for a room that is used 11 times. Every time it is used, it costs $120! Now let’s change one thing: the configuration of the room into home office/ reading room. Let’s swap the regular queen sized bed, which takes up a huge part of the real estate of that room, for a wallbed. Set up the office and cozy chair. Now, how often will you use this room? In a year, let’s say 243 days. Our ($Y)/(U) equation now becomes: $1320/243= $5.43!! Doesn’t that make more sense (or cents)?? Welcome to the Economy of Space!

A writer was talking about storing things in their home and wrote this: “…but that got me thinking about how much our space costs us. I figured that we pay approximately $1.65 per square foot per month for our space. This means that if something is taking up 1 square foot of space but it’s value is low, over time we basically lose money because the value of the item taking up the space is worth less than what we pay for the space. Additionally, the more efficiently we can use the space the better value we are getting for our money.” –shannonkay from gspn.tv forum

So there you go- hacking, math and economics! Mr. Z was right! Story problems are everywhere!

Does investing in a Murphy Wallbed make sense when grads must live with their parents? Is your college graduate returning without a job yet, and need a place to stay? A wallbed can be the solution to your (hopefully!) temporary problem.

Today’s headline reads that 21 million, (that is: 21 x 1,000 x 1,000!!!) children between the ages of 18 and 31 live at home with their parents. You may be one such parent. (August 2013)

Home sweet home!

Most likely a returning son or daughter might find his/her room converted into an office or re-done in some fashion to suit your practical needs. A standard room with even a twin bed might be hopelessly small when piled up with suitcases and boxes full of books and your offspring’s personal belongings.

Why not exchange the old bed for a Murphy wallbed? Add a desktop and a cabinet or file drawer while you’re at it?

However, whether you choose Horizontal or Vertical Platform wall unit or go for a Library bed, your family will whole-heartedly embrace you for being proactive! Your insight brings satisfaction and keeps both order and harmony in the family!

The day will come when your son or daughter lands that job and moves into his/her own domain. The wallbed can move, too, and whatever cabinetry as well! It gives them a head start on furnishing their living space! In addition, it gives you an opportunity to find a new use for the abandoned room. Maybe get another wallbed?

And for friends who read and bring a printed copy of this blog to The Great American Wallbed Co., they will receive $ 100.00 in-house discount! We care!

The short and sweet answer to this^ question is: Yes. However, the questions should have been: Why can’t I use an air mattress in a wallbed?

Several times at Costco we were asked about using air mattresses in our wallbeds. In fact, when we had our very first Special Event there, we used air mattresses for our display… for ONE day! We thought it would be a great idea and quickly realized it was not! The “queen sized” mattress was actually a few inches shorter than a proper mattress and shifted in the frame. The vinyl mattress smelled of…vinyl! and the sheets kept slipping off (even though it was a velour one). And then there were the noises!! Every time we raised and lowered the beds, the mattress would burp and squeak and make other totally inappropriate sounds! It was a nightmare!

We understand that many times the questions came from an economical position. You want to invest in a wallbed, but want to be frugal and smart, especially if it is only for occasional use. In a way, an air mattress is similar to a wallbed: when you are done, you fold it up and tuck it away! But wait! You want an extra bed for the occasional night when YOU might need to sleep there (instead of the doghouse perhaps?). Do YOU want to spend the night squeaking, slipping and sinking (what is that hiss?!?) or do you want a good night’s sleep?

A decent mattress is not very expensive and you can probably find a good one on Craigslist for very little. We like to send people to Mattress Depot because their prices are fair and they don’t sell them like a used car. When you go for the wallbed, take that last step and use a real mattress with it. Our wallbeds are designed to work with the weight of a mattress so make sure it is on site when we install yours.

Your guests will thank you and you will pat yourself on the back when you end up there one night. And here is a tip: mark anniversaries and birthdays on new calendars as soon as you get them.

We are The Great American Wallbed Co. in Bellevue, WA. Check here for pricing, dimensions and product info. Thank you!

Lately we took a good, hard look at our pricing and went back to square one. We examined the different costs – hardware, material, delivery etc… We discovered that we could do something unusual and refreshing! We could REDUCE the prices of our wallbeds and still be profitable! Some of our costs had changed in a favorable direction and so we are passing those changes on to YOU – our reason for being in business!

We are here because we like to be helpful.

We are here because we enjoy creative solutions to challenging problems.

We are here because we understand the value of your hard earned money and want to help you save it.

We are here because of YOU.

How, you may ask, does spending a couple thousand dollars help SAVE money? Check out our blogs about the real cost of homes here and here for some answers. Aside from the cost per square foot of your home, if you are renting, have you priced the cost and hassle of MOVING lately?? By adding a Wallbed or Murphy Bed to your home, it can turn a studio into a one bedroom, a one into a two and so on!

See? We just helped you with your limited space problem and saved you money at the same time!!!

Keep in mind, this is not a SALE. These are new, lower prices and will only go up when material and production costs make a big leap.

In a world of relativity, uncertainty, and Google-mining, one thing is certain: knowing when, for sure! you found a fair and reasonably priced wall bed/Murphy bed is a daunting task! So let us look at some things that play a role in pricing and see if there is a wallbed priced just for you! By the way, we all want to save money, make a “deal,” and find a “special offer.” It makes us feel good and in control, even if it’s only a dollar. Admit it!

If you found this blog, I KNOW you’ve been mining the vast internet for fair and reasonable wallbed prices. But you have STOP and ask yourself several questions first.
What should your wall bed look like?

And what kind of surface will your wall bed have: smooth or grained melamine or super modern glossy? IKEA

Now sit down and-

establish a budget: $0 – $1,000,000

choose a basic style: Horizontal, Vertical or Library

pick your size: Twin, Full or Queen

decide which material: Veneer, Laminate or paint/ stain

add sales tax (Plug in your address here to determine your tax rate. It is based on where the wallbed is INSTALLED not where it is sold!) Washington State Tax Lookup

do you have to add freight?

delivery charges?

installation charges?

Once you have answers to these questions you are ready to buy that fair and reasonably priced wall bed/Murphy bed!

“But,” you say, “what I want costs this much on this Site A and that much on Site B!” See, I took you on a global trip and showed you what is out there. Remember “think global, shop local”? Come in and talk with us; we will walk you through the process to a fair and reasonably priced wall bed just like we have done at numerous Costco Special Event Shows in the greater Seattle area. The Great American Wallbed Co.

Surfing the WWW for Wall Bed/Murphy Bed companies the other day caused me to reflect on this dilemma: Local or Online? I checked out both nationwide and local Wall Bed/Murphy Bed manufacturers. Several of the online companies I viewed have great websites, such as Bedder Way and BredaBeds. They contain a large amount of information regarding material, finishes, measurements, pricings and so on. Usually you will have to pay freight and install it yourself with the video and written instructions provided. It can be tricky, but it is doable with enough planning and extra hands. You will save money on the installation, but probably pay more for freight.

Local Wall Bed/Murphy Bed companies in the greater Seattle/ Puget Sound area also offer good info. Among them are: Wallbeds Northwest and Northwest Closet and Wallbeds. A local company should be able to come out to your home to measure your space and make suggestions. They will also have the ability to install your new wallbed. Make sure they are licensed and bonded before they start to assemble your wallbed. You will pay more for installation, but it will usually be done in one. Most DIY project I have experienced, last MUCH longer than that!

Honestly, most of the Wallbed/ Murphy Bed companies, both online and local, are capable and skilled in making what you want. For me, it comes down to this: personal contact and cost.

Alocal retail store (less shipping, handling, and installation cost) would be my decision. Why? Because I will be working with people, i.e. human beings, that I may later run into at the local Starbucks. With the national companies, it is trickier to make a lasting connection. (Don’t you agree now that I pointed it out to you????)

Get a feel for whom you are dealing with. You might be surprised how simplified your process becomes.

In return, you will feel good for favoring and supporting one of your LOCAL companies. We would love to be your teacher, help you zero in on your needs, and together come up with a workable and satisfying design.

Local Wallbed companies are usually Family Owned and Operated. We pay Local Taxes J Think about it!

In this case the “WE” are The Great American Wallbeds Company, (aka Seattle Wallbeds Co.) Bellevue, WA. The “great,” in Great American Wallbed, is our reputation around the Greater Seattle Area Costco Special Events. Chances are you saw us there first 🙂

When you invest in a Wallbed or Murphy Bed, your return on a $3,000.00 investment can be almost 5 times your original money!

Your stationary, standard Queen bed, takes at least 35 sq. feet of space and is costing you anywhere from $200.00 per square foot up to a median Seattle price of $428.00 per square foot (June 2013). This calculates as a value ranging from $7,000.00 to $15,000.00! Wow! And that doesn’t include the cost of heating and cooling a single purpose room all year!

Furthermore, with a wallbed, you don’t need to add a room! Do a quick calculation of what a 10×10 addition will cost in this market. Yup: between $25,000.00 and $50,000.

A Queen-size wall bed/Murphy bed is roughly 67″ x 88″ when open but when it is closed, it takes a measly 8.5 square feet of floor space! Trulia will show you! Seattlehome values, listing prices, average and median sale prices, and … Average pricepersquare foot for Seattle WA was $428, an increase of 43.1%. (Seattle P.I. article) In the Greater Puget Sound area, the price per square foot ranges from $250 on up to the $700 –$ 800 dollar range (June 2013). In other words, the space your conventional bed requires equals $28,000, more or less!

Please, do your own search in your local market. This is the reality in the greater Seattle area!

Now, go into your guest bedroom and look at that bed taking up expensive real estate! Call Salvation Army, donate the bed, and get a tax write-off! Invest $3,000.00 (more or less) and gain space worth up to 5 times that! It’s the thing $avvy $hoppers do now.

Are you a condo dweller? You don’t have the choice to add on! You love where you live and you don’t want to move. A small investment in a wallbed gains you both additional space and adds value per square foot. Check it out for yourself!

How else can you pick up 35 square feet of livable space for $3,000.00?